Sabarimala gold theft: Kerala HC allows SIT to collect gold samples again from sreekovil doors and temple plates

KOCHI: Kerala high court on Monday granted permission to the special investigation team (SIT) probing the alleged gold heist at Sabarimala temple to collect samples again from the gold-clad doors of the sreekovil and plates stored on the temple premises for a deep metallurgical examination to assess the quantity of gold lost.A bench of Justices V Raja Vijayaraghavan and K V Jayakumar passed the order permitting the SIT to collect samples from the Sannidhanam under controlled and documented conditions, on Feb 12. HC was considering a request by ADGP law and order and crimes H Venkatesh, who heads the SIT, seeking permission to conduct advanced metallurgical examinations, including X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRF) to determine surface elemental composition, Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) for ultra-trace impurity and elemental profiling, and Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES) to analyse alloy composition and metallurgical uniformity. It was submitted that none of the forensic laboratories in Kerala, including the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, are equipped to conduct these tests and that specialised institutions such as the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, the National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur and the Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory, Hyderabad, would be required to undertake the examination.Considering the request, HC noted that earlier SIT reports indicated that the original gold cladding had been removed and replaced with fresh surface plating of lesser thickness. The SIT now seeks advanced scientific analysis to establish, with precision and objectivity, the extent of material alteration, the nature of metallurgical manipulation, and the quantum of gold originally present and subsequently depleted. Allowing the request, HC adjourned the matter to Feb 19 for the SIT to report whether adequate samples had been collected and to furnish details of the institution where the tests would be conducted.During the hearing on Monday, Venkatesh and S Sasidharan, the investigating officer, submitted that statements of 262 witnesses had been recorded. It was further submitted that, in the case relating to the alleged misappropriation of gold cladding from the copper plates of the dwarapalaka idols, the role of the remaining four accused had been verified and the involvement of two accused had been confirmed. Similarly, in the second case relating to the alleged theft of gold from other sacred temple valuables, the role of the remaining two accused had been verified and the involvement of one accused had been confirmed. It was also submitted that steps are being taken to obtain the call data records of some of the accused for the year 2019, for which service providers have been contacted.